Star Richmond key forward Jack Riewoldt was always going to be rewarded with the maximum 10 votes in the AFL Coaches’ Association’s Player of the Year Round 21 voting for his outstanding 10-goal performance against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium last Saturday.

Tigers in Cardinia

Cardinia open trainingNick Vlastuin speaks to the media at Richmond's open training session at Beaconsfield's Holm Park Recreation Reserve.

Beaconsfield’s Holm Park Recreation Reserve turned yellow and black yesterday as the Tigers held their first open training session for 2018.

Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin said the Tigers attracted almost 1500 members and fans.

“There’s definitely a lot of fans here, which is expected when we come down (to Beaconsfield),” Vlastuin said on Tuesday.

The Tigers trained at Holm Park Recreation Reserve, before they hosted two kids’ clinics and signed autographs.

The Club’s connection to the region stems back to 2012, when it joined forces with the Cardinia Shire Council to bring the community together using football, through various programs, events and community engagement initiatives.

The partnership uses football to support and engage with communities based in the Cardinia Shire, a region identified as having a high residential growth corridor that is already home to a large number of Richmond supporters.

The Club is also connected to the region through its wholly-owned subsidiary Aligned Leisure, which manages the Shire of Cardinia’s major recreational facilities.

Richmond and Aligned Leisure work closely with the Club's charity partner, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, and the Shire of Cardinia, to help protect children from the devastating effects of violence and bullying.

Vlastuin, who became a permanent fixture across the Tigers’ backline in 2017, said the Club was hungry for the upcoming season.

"It just gives you an extra drive because you know what to expect and you know how good that feeling was after the Grand Final," Vlastuin said.

"Last year was the first year we had that manic pressure and we were still learning that … we're just going to consolidate what we did last year and hopefully it goes all right."